Improvement in apparatus for elevating and distributing water in buildings



UNITED STATES JAMES L. SMITH, OF PASSATO, NENV JERSEY.

. PATENT OFFICE..

IMPROVEMENT IN APPARATUS FOR ELEVATING AND DISTRIBUTING WATER IN BUILDINGS.

Specifica-tion forming part of Letters Patent No. 96,280, dated October 26, 1869.'

To @ZZ whom it may concerns Be it known that I, JAMEs L. SMITH, of Passaic, in the county of Passaic, in the State f of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Means for Distributing Water in Buildings; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full `and exact description thereof.

The object of my invention is to raise the water'above the level to which it naturally iiows, and to command its delivery, at will, at the several points desired, while storing the water at the base where it will be cool in summer and free from frost in winter.

I will iirst describe what Iconsider the best means of carrying out my invention, and will afterward designate the point which I believe to be new.

The accompanying drawings form a part of this specification.

Figure lis a front elevation of the means by which I apply the power. Fig. 2 is a crosssection of the same, and Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line S S in Fig.v 2. Fig. 4 is a vertical section showing the same parts on'a smaller scale, with a view of a portion of the reservoir or cistern, and of someof the delivery-cocks for delivering the water in the house.

Similar letters of reference indicate likev parts in all the figures.

A is a tank or cistern, made upon any approved plan, and receiving water from the rain from the roof or from other suitable sources. It

. is represented as exterior to the walls of the vworking tightly therein, the piston-rod being indicated' by c.

D D, Snc., are weights, which may be applied and removed at will, so as to load the piston to any required pressure.

E is a wire rope attached to the piston-rod c and leading over the pulley F to the windlass G, which is operated by means of gearing, as represented, from the crankshaft H turned by the hand crank h. All these parts are mounted in a substantial framing, I, and may stand in the cellar or be but little above the cellar of the building.

The lower end of the cylinder B is connected as indicated by u.

both to the reservoir or cistern A'and to the delivery-pipes of the house. (Represented by J The delivery-cocks, sinks, Src., in the delivery system J may be of any ordinary construction and arrangement. There may be baths and other apparatus for consuming large cylinder B, contains two valves, one a self-acting valve, m, which opens only inward to admit the water into the cylinder, and the other a stop-cocker screw-valve or analogous device, m', operated by hand, and which can stop the water entirely from flowing in either direction. This valve is useful inV case the other valve, m, should fail from some cause, or to shut off the water in the tank from the-cylinder, when desired, for repairs or any other reason. The pipe N, connecting the lower part of the cylinder B to the delivery system J, may contain also two valves, one a self-acting valve opening only outward from the cylinder, and closing, to prevent any return of the water from the delivery system into the cylinder B, and the other a stop-cock or screwvalve or analogous dev-ice operated by hand, It may be desirable, for some reasons, to omit the self-acting valve in this pipe and to operate by the aid of the handvalve n alone. I have so represented the invention.

The cyliider B beinglled with water by raising the\pistou C by means of the handcrank and is connections, while the cock n is closed, I disconnect the crank-shaft H by shoving it endwisein its bearings, as will be readily understood, and allow the gravity of the weights D to press on the water inclosed in the cylinder. Under this condition the selfacting valve m shuts tightly and prevents the return of the water into the tank, which effect may be still further insured, if desired, by closing the hand valve or cock In', and the cock n being opened, the water is ready to be 2 basso delivered all over the house, or so high as the load on the piston B is sufficient to raise it. The force does not materially change with the delivery of a portion of the water; but it continues to be delivered in small quantities, as required, at each cock throughout the house,

until the piston B has descended to its lowest position.

At any time after the piston B has Afully descended, or only partially descended, it may be again raised by the operation of the l1and-crank,'taking care to properly manipulate the stop-valves. Ihe valves may be conneeted together so as to operate by a single movement, if desired, and the lever or other device may be connected to the crank mech anism so as to compel the proper adjustment of the one before the other is operated. These suggestions may be readily carried out by any good mechanic. Y

The inconveniences of having a reservoir in the top of a house are very great. The water is liable to freeze in winter, become very disagreeably warm in summer, and to cause very serious damage from leakage and overflows. All these are avoided by my invention. The amount of labor actually expended in raising the water is not materially greater or less than in other modes of delivering, and as distinguished from pumps which deliver only at the time of operating, my apparatus may be worked by a man in the morning and allowed to serve the weaker `members of the family during the day without imposing labor on them.

Fig. 3 shows the form of the weights in red outline, as seen from above. Fig. 4 shows in similar outline a section of two or more weights, showing how they match together. I propose to make the cylinder B of any suitable material, but preferably of castiron lined. The preferable lining, all things considered, is a compound of shellac, ten pounds, gum camphor, one-fourth of a pound, and alcohol one and one-half pint, with as much Paris white as can be added without making it too thick to pour. This is applied to a thickness of some half an inch on the interior of a rough cylinder, cast purposely too large, and then is bored out by suitable machinery. It will be understood that the boring-tool removes only the hard gum lining, and leaves a surface of that .material which is unaffected by water or by any ordinary agencies, and is very smooth and durable. In case it is preferred to line with other material, I can use anyV approved noncorrosive lining.

To avoid trouble in repacking, I adapt my packing to be expanded by simply screwing in the piston-rod. It will be remembered that -the motion is only at intervals, and the wear is consequently very little-much less than with a steam-engine or pump; but it may be required to tighten or even to loosen the packing under some conditions. To effect this I allow the piston to sink till it rests on the internal nut in the cylinder near the base, taking care to provide some roughness or projection on the under side of the piston, if there is not already one, which will catch against that to prevent the piston from turning around, and then taking hold of the piston-rod c with a strong wrench or the like, give it a portion ofa turn. This, in case of screwing in, compresses the top and bottom ot the piston together and forces out the packing. The packing is by preference rubber, with a surface of soft cotton. l

I propose to use a three-way cock in some cases, instead of a plain cock, in the base of the delivering-pipes J, so that by properly operating, the water standing in the upper l `parts of the building may be discharged into the cellar or a suitable drain.

I propose in large buildings to employ airengines, horsepower, or other ordinary de- Vices in lieu of a hand-crank; but in either case the power need be exercised but for a short time to supply the water for a long period.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure JAMES L. SMITH.

Witnesses:

THOMAS D. SrE'rsoN, XVM. C. DEY. 

